The Story of Mokomokosama, and other Tales
by Lady Gata
Summary: Several stories about Sesshomaru and his friend Karuku when they were children. Learn why the fluff can fly. Also, there is a much sadder story between the chapters about Karuku.
1. The History of Flight

**Author's Note: ** I decided to delete and revise this story a little bit, since the chapters were screwed up on anyway. Please note that inbetween each of the tales is a chunk of a greater story, but don't read all the inbetweens together! Just go in order. I would like some honest reviews, whether you hate it or love it. Thanks!

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Light sounds of music threaded throughout the great stone house. It was a child's voice, and the tune was familiar to Lady Kriva's ears. She smiled and stepped out of the giant stone doorway, and into the house. The words of the song were in a strange foreign language, but were very beautiful. Kriva added her own voice to the child's as she approached a large desk. Before it, standing on a sturdy wooden chair, was a tiny girl. Her long black hair was tied up in a bun on the back of her head, its golden streaks glittering in the sunlight. When she turned her eyes held their own golden glow. 

"You haven't been back long," observed Lady Kriva. Her own eyes held the same color, and her garments marked her as a priestess. The girl grinned and held up a small jar filled with silver powder.

"It's for flying, mommy! I was playing with different herbs and came out with this, so I looked it up in your books." Lady Kriva sniffed the powder.

"So it is, and well made! It's all yours, Karuku. Use it wisely."

"I will mother." Mischief sparkled in the girl's eyes. A black raven flew in through the open door and landed next to Kriva. It grew into a tall, handsome man with black hair and eyes.

"Inutaisho has arrived. Come greet him and his son with me," he said grinningly.

"Yay!" cried Karuku, and dashed out of the cave. Her parents laughed and followed at a slower pace.

"What was Karuku carrying?"

"Oh Kres, are you sure you wish to know?" replied Kriva. Lord Kres's eyes lit with alarm.

"It's nothing dangerous, is it?"

"Anything is dangerous in that child's hands.

"SESSHOMARU! INUTAISHO!" The tiny girl leapt up into the arms of a tall, good-looking man with a long white ponytail. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hello Karuku. And Lady Kriva, Lord Kres." Inutaisho detached Karuku from his neck and gave her parents a small bow. A boy with short white hair and big amber eyes peeked out from behind his father's leg. He looked up at the girl.

"Hi Karuku." Inutaisho set her down and she immediately grabbed the boy's wrist and dragged him away.

"C'mon Sesshomaru. I have a present for you!" They disappeared around a small hill. Inutaisho's eyebrows rose.

"Present?" he looked at Lady Kriva, who had begun to snigger uncontrollably.

"I'm sure we'll find out soon," said Lord Kres uneasily.

The two children had stopped underneath a tall willow tree.

"Count to three," instructed Karuku.

"Okay," said Sesshomaru. "One, two, three. AAAAAAAH!" Karuku pulled the lid off the jar and tossed the powder out. Sesshomaru's feet lifted off the ground.

Lord Kres had finally managed to calm Kriva down when she burst out laughing again. He groaned.

"What now?" She pointed at the trees in reply. Lord Kres and Inutaisho followed her finger, and immediately joined her in laughter. Little Sesshomaru was floating high above the canopies. Mokomoko-sama, the beloved fur pelt Sesshomaru had been given at birth, had expanded and pulled the poor boy into the air. Karuku came flying down the path, and skidded to a stop before the hysterical adults. She grinned. Sesshomaru's father kneeled down in front of her, wiping his eyes.

"As funny as this is, I must ask you to retrieve my son." Karuku pretended to be crushed, but laughter still shone in her eyes. Black wings streaked with golden feathers sprouted from her shoulders. Inutaisho stepped back as the girl turned and ran down the path. She leapt into the air and took off towards Sesshomaru; a big puffy cloud with tiny flailing hands and feet. Karuku grabbed one of those hands and dragged him to the ground. Their parents watched with fascinated stares as Karuku gave the fluff a firm glare.

"You stop that right now!" she demanded. "I didn't tell you to get big now, did I? Go back to your normal size and stop being silly!" The fluff shrank almost shamefully, and Karuku released Sesshomaru's hands. He fell on his bottom looking dazed. "Listen up fluffy! This boy is your master, not me. You got it?" The fluff quivered. "Good. From now on you fly when he wants to fly." Karuku turned to face Inutaisho. "Okay. All fixed!" she declared. He laughed.

"You got a nice present, Sesshomaru."

"Uh-huh," said Sesshomaru nonchanlantly. Lady Kriva stepped forward.

"Now that our little adventure is over I think its time we started lunch." Kriva was clearly one of those people who was not happy unless she was feeding someone. Her eyes lit up with an extra twinkle when she mentioned the food.

"Sounds wonderful," said Lord Kres. Karuku pulled Sesshomaru up.

"We're coming, and I promise that we'll walk!"


	2. One

_Night was falling. Stars were beginning to dance and flicker across the skies. Karuku stared unblinkingly as the sun fell, leaving behind it the blue-black night._

_"Something is coming," she whispered. Lord Kres put his hand on her shoulder._

_"I know. I will rally the others," he replied. The warriors took to the skies or the trees to act as watchmen. The villagers hid in their stone homes. If anything went wrong the children and their families would remain undiscovered. Karuku paced anxiously inside her own house; the only noticeable structure in the entire village._

_"Calm down. You're making me more nervous than I already am," sighed the Lady Kriva._

_"I can't. I just have this feeling…this won't go well. I can already smell the blood." Kriva almost dropped the bow she held._

_"Do not say that…please." Karuku stopped and stared at her mother. She rushed over and hugged her tightly._

_"I'm sorry, mother. But it's only the truth." Kriva held her daughter for a moment, then the two women released each other._

_"Take a look." She held out the bow so Karuku could see it more clearly._

_"Nicely done mother," she said with a sneaky smile. "The marks are barely visible, but it looks much stronger."_

_"A proper bow for a priestess," said Kriva with a smile, and pushed the bow into Karuku's hands._


	3. The Great Pink Incident

"I found you!" A tiny, dark haired girl shoved aside the leaves surrounding her and grinned at a small white-haired boy. 

"You cheated. You flew!" he pouted.

"So did you! I'm not helping you down now." The girl crossed her arms. Beautiful gold and black wings sprouted from her shoulders.

"Karuku wait!" cried the boy. "I'm sorry, okay? Please help me down?" Karuku grinned triumphantly.

"Of course!" she grabbed his hands and pulled him out of the thick foliage. They balanced on a bulky, sturdy branch for a moment then leapt off. Karuku's wings beat fiercely to hold them both up and carry them over the tree. She turned to the ground and glided carefully down; letting Sesshomaru go as soon as his feet touched the ground. She landed gracefully beside him.

"Thanks!" he said. "Wanna go eat lunch?"

"Yeah!" cried Karuku as her wings shrank away. They took off running.

Rows of fish garnished with small mushrooms were being laid out on a long table. Several villagers watched hungrily as the beautiful Lady Kriva and six other girls set out the food.

"Mommy!" Lady Kriva set down a plate then turned and knelt to greet her daughter.

"Hello Karuku, Sesshomaru. Did you have fun?" Both children nodded vigorously.

"Why is everything so formal today?" asked Sesshomaru.

"We're celebrating this as a day of peace. We've beaten back the tiger attacks successfully, and it's all thanks to your father."

"Oh," said Sesshomaru.

"Mommy, can I show Sesshomaru my new workspace?" asked Karuku. Lady Kriva smiled.

"Of course, Hawklet!" she said affectionately. "But be quick, lunch is almost ready!" The villagers cheered. "I'm glad you all enjoy my cooking so much!" Karuku kissed her mother's cheek then ran off with Sesshomaru at her heels. The two children dashed down to the end of the path. A great granite house loomed before them. Steps were carved into the hill it sat on, and Karuku and Sesshomaru dashed up them. The door to the house has huge and heavy, but the tiny Karuku shoved it easily aside. They ran into a back room of the house and stopped before a small desk littered with books, papers, and small pots and jars filled with herbs.

"Ta-da!" yelled Karuku proudly. Sesshomaru stared.

"I don't get it." Karuku frowned at him.

"It's my workplace. It's where I study." Sesshomaru shrugged. Karuku glared at him for a moment; then a mischievous smile crossed her lips. She picked up a small pot.

"Wanna help me test something?"

"Sure!" cried Sesshomaru. This was far more interesting than a desk and a bunch of herbs.

"I made this color mixture, but I don't know what color it is. I need to find out."

Lady Kriva didn't want to start lunch without the children, but everyone was increasingly impatient. Lord Kres was pacing back and forth while rubbing his stomach.

"I'll go fetch them," sighed the Lady. But before she could even take a step the door to their granite home was tossed open and a pink blur leapt down the steps.

"GET AWAAAAAAAAY!" it screamed, and ran into the forest. Everyone was frozen for a just moment. Then they all burst out laughing. A grinning Karuku shuffled up the path and stopped before the tall dog demon seated at the far end of the table. She bowed. Inutaisho smiled at her and ruffled her hair.

"Hello Karuku. Can you fix Sesshomaru?" Karuku nodded.

"I can, but the powder takes a while to make and everyone looks so hungry." Inutaisho stood, his eyes shining with laughter.

"I'll go fetch him so we can eat." He strode off into the woods. Karuku plopped down next to her mother.

"A fine prelude to lunch," grinned Lady Kriva. Inutaisho came out of the woods carrying Sesshomaru. His hair and fluff were pink, and his face streaked with tears. The villagers were silent when the meal first began, but soon laughter and gossip rang through the air. Sesshomaru remained silent but ate his share of the food. Karuku, however, would have none of this. She stared at him as she ate, and the minute her plate held nothing but bones she stuck her tongue out at him. He glared at her. She blew a raspberry. He glowered. She crossed her eyes. He scowled. She touched her nose with her tongue. He giggled.

"Gotcha!" she cried delightedly. Sesshomaru quickly regained his stoicism. "Uh-uh! You don't getta do that. You can't be mad at me, or I can't undo the colors."

"Really?" asked Sesshomaru worriedly. Karuku nodded convincingly.

"So c'mon before it's permanent!" Sesshomaru gasped and jumped up. He followed Karuku back to the house. Inutaisho caught Lady Kriva's eye. She stood up as well.

"I'll supervise." She trotted gleefully down the path.

Karuku held the pot up for her mother to see. The Lady inspected it carefully then nodded.

"Hurry!" whined Sesshomaru. Karuku struggled to hide a grin for a moment. Her mother nudged her forward, and she shook out the powder on Sesshomaru's fluff and hair. The quickly began to pale until they were white again.

"Thanks for your help Sesshomaru! I get the color differences now!" she said brightly and skipped out of the house. Sesshomaru stared at his fluff.

"I think your father will want to see you," said Lady Kriva.

"Okay," said Sesshomaru. The exited the great house, and the great door swung shut behind them.


	4. Two

_The pounding footsteps thumped in Karuku's ears. She drew an arrow and strung it carefully on the bow, then stood up on her branch and let it fly. The arrow began to glow gold as it flew, and the warriors stared up from their hiding places at her alarm. They were here. Karuku drew a second arrow and stood readily atop her tree. She waited until they were in sight before releasing it. When the arrow struck the ground it lit up and spat fireworks at the demons._

_"Tigers!" hissed Karuku before leaping out of the tree, wings spread and ready. She shot another firework arrow into the center of the tigers. Their attention captured, they began to climb the trees to get at her. There they met the warriors. Screams filled the air as swords, claws, and talons were drawn. There were not enough bowmen to attack from the sky, and those who were good enough to join Karuku needed to remain hidden. Karuku's arrows were powerful enough that she could shoot from high up where the tigers could not reach, but her supply was limited. Once the firework arrows ran out she had to land and fight with the rest, but that was not before she took out a considerable number of tiger warriors. Where the tigers stepped bursts of flame and wind blew. The very earth was rising and staining their eyes. But the tigers had sheer numbers to overpower them with, and they ripped blindly through the fighers and into the hidden village. Karuku tore after several of the tigers, praying that their concealed homes would remain so. They were indistinguishable from simple cliffs, but one magnificent house stood proudly at the end of the path. It was there that the enemy rallied, and believing that something desirable was concealed inside they began to blast through the heavy stone walls. The warriors held them back best they could, but soon the village was flooded with unwelcome demons. Lord Kres screamed at the destruction of his home and leapt deeper into the fray. The ground had grown muddy with sudden rain, and the fighters were dropping their weapons and fist fighting messily between the cliffs. Karuku pushed between the demons and cut down the tigers that stood in her path; the heat of battle rising in her stomach. Bodies littered the ground, and the fighters began to stumble over their fallen comrades. The graceful Karuku slipped in the mud, and fell upon a sight she had never wished to see again._

_"Father!" she cried. "No…it can't be…" Lord Kres, the greatest warrior the village had ever known, lay trampled and dead on the crowd. His eyes were closed evermore. The rage slipped out Karuku's gut and into her hands. Battle heat swished its sword and tossed away the crowd. The fight worsened._


	5. The Most Interesting Switch

"Hey Karuku, look what my dad gave me!" The tiny white-haired boy eagerly held out his hands to show his friend. She peered at the object inside them.

"What is, Sesshomaru?" He grinned excitedly.

"Itsa ball!" he blurted. "Isn't it cool? You can bounce it off things and hit rocks with it and stuff." Karuku poked the white object.

"Why're there holes in it?" Sesshomaru shrugged. "Oh well! How do you play with it?" The two children left the long village path and retreated to an open clearing in the forest. They took turns tossing the ball into the trees and tracking it down to see who got it farther. Karuku's arm wasn't very good, and Sesshomaru delighted in winning. He ran happily back and forth and tracked the ball easily down.

"I don't get it," complained Karuku the umpteenth time Sesshomaru trampled back holding the now dirt-covered ball. "No matter where I throw it there's always a big tree in the way! You always get it in-between." Sesshomaru gave her another happy shrug and tossed her the ball. She chucked it as hard as she could into the trees.

"Karuku! Sesshomaru!" A tall, handsome man with a long white ponytail shoved aside the low tree branches to enter the clearing. "Here you are. Lord Kres says to come back and see what the Lady has discovered. It might interest you both." Sesshomaru darted into the trees one last time to fetch the ball, then joined Karuku and his father as they headed back towards the great stone village. The villagers had thrown open the doors to their granite homes to step out and see what had excited the Lady so.

"Mommy!" yelled Karuku as she came flying down the path, and quite literally. She'd take to the sky to get there before Inutaisho and Sesshomaru.

"Karuku, come look at this! It's the strangest thing I've ever seen."

"Oh wow…you're not gonna try and touch it, are you mommy?" she whispered over her mother's shoulder. Inutaisho picked up his son to keep him from touching the strange substance.

"I don't get it," said Sesshomaru. "What is it?"

"It's a mixture of common herbs and animal remains," explained Lady Kriva. "When they combine while the remains are still fresh certain minerals and nutrients that demons carry in their bodies mix with the herbs and create a highly explosive mixture."

"So how do we get rid of it?" asked Lord Kres anxiously.

"First we have to clear the area, so you, Inutaisho, and Sesshomaru can do that." Sesshomaru gave a proud nod. "Then we need to freeze the mixture so it can't heat up and explode. Even the tiniest touch could set it off; your own warmth is enough. There is a counter-mixture that Karuku can help me make, so once the area is clear guard this spot. We'll have it ready before nightfall." Everyone set to work immediately. Sesshomaru happily warned the villagers of dangerous bombs and shoed them away from the area while Karuku and her mother stayed holed up in their workshop laboring over the counter-mixture. True to her promise, they had it finished before the sun was down.

"We're ready!" announced Karuku. She and Lady Kriva held some of the freezing mixture in a jar. It sparkled in the remaining sunlight.

"Everyone stand back, now. Karuku and I will freeze it. There will be a small blast, not enough to hurt anything, but it could still be dangerous. Once the smoke clears the mixture will be frozen and I can remove it and neutralize it." Everyone followed Lady Kriva's instructions quickly, and disappeared down the path to safer places. Karuku and Kriva both sprouted beautiful wings; Karuku's were black and gold and Kriva's pure gold. They tossed out the mixture and took to the air.

BANG.

Silvery smoke surrounded the area, and once it had cleared the two priestesses touched down again.

"Oh…my…goddess…" whispered the Lady. Karuku fell over and burst out laughing. Her cries sent everyone running back, but Sesshomaru was already there. He was lying flat on his back with his kimono turned all the way around. He looked incredibly confused.

"What happened?" asked Inutaisho awkwardly.

"I bet he was curious!" cried Karuku in-between giggles. "Betcha he banged his head, too!"

"Ka…Karuku…please take Sesshomaru and his father up to the house. Check him for injuries and…uh…" stuttered the Lady Kriva.

"I can fix it," said Inutaisho. Karuku giggled harder, and Sesshomaru managed to send her an almost angry glare. He was still rather dazed.

"Hey!" cried Karuku as Inutaisho picked up his son. "This time, it was your fault!"


	6. Three

_The sun was rising on the battle. As night evaporated sunlight lit their muddy faces and blood stained hands. Still they raged on. Behind her broken home, the Lady Kriva stood bravely whispering the words of her mother tongue. With each command fire, water, wind and earth rose to meet the tigers and beat them back from the village. Away from the frightened families concealed in their cliff homes. One of the vandals shoved the remains of the great granite house off his shoulders, and stumbled onto Kriva's hiding place. Her spell was broken by his claw, but the power lashed out and ripped at his skin. The shredded corpse fell to the ground. Outside where the battle raged Karuku's strange fever subsided as she felt the spell snap._

_"Mother!" she cried, and took to the sky. The tigers roared angrily at her, but the birds stole away their attention. Karuku landed by her mother's side. "Oh goddess…" she whispered._

_"Worry not, my child." Kriva's voice was very faint and Karuku leaned close to hear her. She cradled the woman in her arms. "I never wished to live a song different than your father's, and I can feel his soul flying from this place. The skies are ever ours." Karuku's tears felt hot, and washed away the mud and blood on her cheeks._

_"Don't go. Don't leave me," she pleaded._

_"Don't be silly," hissed her mother. "I love you, and I can never leave you."_

_"I know" said Karuku, and Lady Kriva died in her arms. Behind them, the battle continued to rage. Tears slipped down Karuku's cheeks, her silent grief overflowing. She gripped her mother's hand tightly, threw back her head, and screamed. It was the cry of a grieving hawk; filled with sorrow, anger, and incredible power. The birds began to fall back. They wept as they carried away the wounded. Tigers abandoned the corpses and ran quickly, stumbling over their own dead. The unending cry rang painfully and commandingly in their ears with only one word in their minds;_

**LEAVE.**

_The rain departed as well, and even the sun seemed frightened to take over. It hid fearfully behind the clouds, and they were reluctant to stay. The cry ended with noisy tears. Two warriors stepped beside Karuku. They too were hesitant to be there._

_"Lady…we must take care of the dead." Karuku clung to her mother's body and tried to calm herself._

_"Care for the wounded first so we add no more to their number, and search the rubble of the house for survivors. The bodies will be burned and set to fly forever."_

_"But Lady…for your parents…there are rites to be performed for the village leaders," said one of the warriors hastily._

_"We'll perform them later. Tend to the wounded." They left quickly. Karuku carefully released the Lady Kriva, and stood slowly. There was much to be done._


	7. Thank you for letting me Cut your Hair

"Karuku?" A dark haired girl jumped as boy with white hair put his hand on her shoulder. She stood and leaned against the trunk of the tree they were under. Both appeared to be in their early teens, but anyone with a keen enough eye could see that they were demons. 

"Hello, Sesshomaru. I didn't know you were here." The boy shrugged.

"We just got here; my father wants to talk with your father." Karuku nodded. Sesshomaru frowned and poked her. "What's wrong with you?"

"I just... I don't know." Sesshomaru was still displaying his usual stoicism, but there was barely a hint of concern in his eyes. It was enough for Karuku to see that he was worried. She plastered a smile on her face. "Forget it. What's new?" Sesshomaru shrugged. "Well it's nearly lunchtime, so we should probably head back anyway." They tromped through the thick foliage (there was a path, but their way was shorter) and walked up to the stone village. At the end of the path stood a magnificent stone house, and in front of it stood three demons. They waved at Karuku and Sesshomaru, who waved back.

"Hello Sesshomaru," said Lady Kriva. Lord Kres inclined his head.

"Hello. Is everything okay?" The Lady smiled at him. "Of course it is. Karuku why don't you and Sesshomaru go in the house and wait for us? Lunch will be ready soon." Karuku slipped past her father, who gave her a small hug before letting them into the house. The door slid shut behind them and Karuku automatically headed for her work station.

"Anything new?" asked Sesshomaru. He was uncomfortable at his friend's sudden need for silence; he was used to her chattering away so he didn't need to.

"Yeah, actually." Karuku picked up a small jar and shook it so the silver powder inside shone in the light. "This is actually a kind of metal. When it's released into the air it solidifies and becomes very sharp; mother says that it is sometimes used to make weapons."

"Why only sometimes?" asked Sesshomaru, a hint of intrigue in his voice.

"The weapons are never very strong. All you have to do is cut off the oxygen somehow and it becomes a permanent liquid. Many people used to make daggers and swords out of it, but they don't anymore because it's so unreliable." Sesshomaru shrugged.

"I prefer fangs." Karuku grinned, something he had not seen her do all day. Sesshomaru took the jar out of her hands to study it more closely, but just as it switched to his grip the front door swung open with a loud "BANG!" Sesshomaru turned in surprise and his still outstretched hand slammed into the wall. It didn't hurt him at all, but the jar slipped from his fingers.

"Watch out!" cried Karuku. The moment the jar fractured the powder inside chose to solidify and shoot out past Sesshomaru's ear. Lady Kriva, Lord Kres, and Inutaisho immediately heard the sound of breaking glass followed by hysterical laughter. When they entered Karuku's workroom they found her grasping a chair trying to catch her breath, while Sesshomaru stared in disbelief at the right side of his hair. It didn't even reach his shoulder. All three adults did their best to smother their laughter. Karuku quickly caught her breath and explained how it was not her fault.

"I'm very very sorry about it, and I'll even it out if you want, Sesshomaru." Sesshomaru clearly did not like this idea, but he didn't like the idea of having half his hair twice as short as the other half either. He was forced to trust Karuku with the scissors. She kept smiling as she snipped away at his hair, and when she was done handed him a mirror.

"Thanks Karuku," he said, his voice laced with relief. Sesshomaru stood and pushed away his chair, but his eyes lit with surprise as Karuku wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Thanks for making me laugh again, Sesshomaru," she whispered, her voice slightly muffled. He stood there feeling awkward for a moment before lightly hugging her back. She released him and grinned up at him. "Time to eat!" she chanted, and skipped out to the kitchen. Sesshomaru followed, nervously feeling his new haircut.

"Father?" Inutaisho looked down at his son as they left the village.

"Yes?"

"Was it Karuku's birthday or something?" Inutaisho frowned.

"Why would you think that?"

"She just seemed…older." Sesshomaru turned and looked back at his friend. She waved at him and he gave her a small wave back.

"I suppose she was," said Inutaisho, a faint worried look in his eyes. Sesshomaru shrugged and returned his eyes to the path. "I'm glad you were worried." Now the look in his father's eyes was mischievous, like Karaku's. It actually made Sesshomaru smile.


	8. Four

_The wind blew lightly through Karuku's hair. She touched the tie carefully to make sure it was tight and would not allow her hair to touch her eyes._

_"I am sorry," said Sesshomaru. Near emotion was in his eyes, and Karuku knew him well enough to understand it._

_"So am I. We are children without parents."_

_"Not children," stated Sesshomaru. Karuku smiled._

_"You are always someone's child. Where will you go now?"_

_"I seek the fang my father called Tessaiga. Will you remain here?"_

_"I must. These people are lost without a leader, and we will be attacked again. But Sesshomaru, although we will not see each other for a long time this is not our last meeting. I wish you luck in your search." Sesshomaru paused, and then did something he had done only once before. He placed his hand on Karuku's shoulder. It was as close to a hug as you could get with him._

_"Don't destroy your own village," he said wisely. Karuku laughed at him, a sound she had not heard for days._

_"With my mother's bow and my father's sword I could, and even without wisdom it would be a simple feat. Perhaps the combination of the three will keep us from mutiny. Be safe, old friend." He nodded, turned, and left. Karuku sighed and turned back to the village. Her footsteps traced the evidence of the battle. There on the scratched and scorched ground lay pride, innocence, and peace. And soon it would be brushed away._


End file.
